Broadcaster and Distributor Envelope Administration
BROADCASTER ENVELOPE ADMINISTRATION
The Broadcaster Envelope Administration section provides broadcasters with information concerning the Broadcaster Envelope Program. At the beginning of each fiscal year, Canadian Broadcasters that participate in CMF’s Broadcaster Envelope Program receive allocations of funds known as Broadcaster Envelope Allocations. Allocations are distributed by language to English-language and French-language Broadcasters. Broadcasters of programming in languages other than English, French and Indigenous receive Diverse Languages Allocations.
ALLOCATIONS
Broadcaster Envelope Program funds are allocated to broadcasters at the beginning of each fiscal year based on past performance in commissioning and airing linear content projects.
On April 1, 2026, 22 English, 11 French, and 3 Diverse Languages broadcasters received Broadcaster Envelope (BE) Allocations from the program budget for use in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. English broadcasters shared $130.0 million in envelope funds, $67.7 million was shared among French broadcasters and $3.6 million was shared by Diverse Languages broadcasters.
Alternative Access option:
Broadcasters that have not generated a BE Allocation for 2026-2027 are eligible for Alternative Access to the Broadcaster Envelope Program. Eligible Broadcasters may utilize this Alternative Access on a first-come, first-served basis, by providing an Eligible Licence Fee and a Broadcaster Agreement Form with a BE commitment to an Eligible Project, until the entire Alternative Access budget is spent. Eligible English and French Broadcasters are limited to $150,000 in total BE commitments in 2026-2027. Eligible Diverse Language Broadcasters are limited to $110,000 in total BE commitments in 2026-2027. $1,500,000 has been allocated to English broadcasters through Alternative Access, $500,000 has been allocated to French broadcasters, and $220,000 for Diverse Languages broadcasters. Use of the Alternative Access Allocation requires an accompanying minimum Eligible Licence Fee of $5,000 in the application.
| GENRE SHARES OF 2026-2027 BE BUDGET | ENGLISH ENVELOPES | FRENCH ENVELOPES |
| DRAMA | 56% | 51% |
| DOCUMENTARY SERIES | 13% | 13% |
| DOCUMENTARY ONE-OFFS | 6% | 7% |
| CHILDREN AND YOUTH | 22% | 22% |
| VARIETY & PERFORMING ARTS | 3% | 7% |
Change for the 2027-2028 BE Allocation Calculations:
- The Weights for the Historic Performance – Production (French only), Diverse Community (Ownership) Production Licences, Diverse Community (Key Personnel) Production Licences, and International Participation (French only) Performance Factors have changed for the 2027-2028 calculation of Broadcaster Envelope allocations (see section 4.4.1 of the Broadcaster Envelope Manual). Factors and Weights for the Diverse Languages Envelopes have changed for the 2027-2028 calculation of Broadcaster Envelope Allocations (see section 4.3.2 of the Broadcaster Envelope Manual).
| 2027-2028 FACTORS AND WEIGHTS | ENGLISH | FRENCH | DIVERSE LANGUAGES |
| AUDIENCE SUCCESS – TOTAL HOURS TUNED | 35% | 40% | 0% |
| PRODUCTION HISTORIC PERFORMANCE | 0% | 15% | 80% |
| REGIONAL PRODUCTION LICENCES | 25% | 15% | 0% |
| DIVERSE COMMUNITY (OWNERSHIP) PRODUCTION LICENCES | 20% | 15% | 10% |
| DIVERSE COMMUNITY (KEY PERSONNEL) PRODUCTION LICENCES | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| GENDER BALANCE (OWNERSHIP) PRODUCTION LICENCES | 5% | 5% | 10% |
| GENDER BALANCE (KEY PERSONNEL) PRODUCTION LICENCES | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| DEVELOPMENT HISTORIC PERFORMANCE | 10% | 10% | 0% |
| INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION | 5% | 0% | 0% |
| TOTAL | 100% | 100% | 100% |
- The Gender Balance Requirement of directing at least 50% of the BE Allocations to Projects where 40% of Key Personnel positions are held by women has been removed.
- Any English or French BE Allocation exceeding 37% of the annual Envelope budget in each language market will be capped at 37%. Any overage will be redistributed proportionally to other Broadcasters earning BE Allocations in the same language market.
- The CMF is introducing a new section to its Canadian Broadcaster Business Policy (found in Chapter 8 in Appendix B), entitled “Broadcaster Audit”. This section enables the CMF, if necessary, to pause all of a Canadian Broadcaster’s CMF activity in order to investigate the Broadcaster’s connection to Projects and Applicants that continually fail to respect the CMF’s policies, requirements and standards.
Details on Broadcaster Envelope allocation usage and calculations can be found in the Broadcaster Envelope Manual.
Manual
The Broadcaster Envelope Manual explains the management and administration policies of the Broadcaster Envelope Program for broadcasters. It outlines the methodology by which envelopes are calculated, as well as the policies which govern their management and usage. This manual is published as a companion to the Broadcaster Envelope Program Guidelines, which include information largely geared towards project funding eligibility criteria.
DISTRIBUTOR ENVELOPE ADMINISTRATION
The Distributor Envelope Administration section provides distributors with information concerning the Distributor Envelope Program. At the beginning of each fiscal year, Eligible Canadian Distributors (“Distributors”) that participate in CMF’s Distributor Envelope Program receive allocations of funds known as Distributor Envelope Allocations. Allocations are distributed by language to contribute funding for English-language and French-language productions.
ALLOCATIONS
Distributor Envelope Program funds have been allocated to Distributors at the beginning of this fiscal year based on past performance in financing linear content productions.
On April 1, 2026, 15 English and 15 French Distributors received Distributor Envelope (DE) Allocations from the program budget for use in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. English Distributors shared $20.9 million in Distributor Envelope Program funds and $6.0 million was shared among French Distributors.
Alternative Access option:
Distributors that have not generated a DE Allocation for 2026-2027 are eligible for Alternative Access to the Distributor Envelope Program. Distributors may utilize this Alternative Access on a first-come, first-served basis, by providing an Eligible Distribution Advance (of at least $5,000) and a Distributor Agreement Form with a DE commitment to an Eligible Project, until the entire Alternative Access budget is spent. English Distributors are limited to $350,000 in total DE commitments in 2026-2027. Eligible French Language Distributors are limited to $100,000 in total DE commitments in 2026-2027. $6,240,000 has been allocated to English Distributors through Alternative Access and $1,760,000 has been allocated to French Distributors.
The 2026-2027 DE Allocations were calculated based on three Performance Factors and their related Weights. The Factors and Weights were the same for the English and French Envelopes.
| 2026-2027 Performance Factors | Weights |
| Historic Access in Documentary, Children & Youth, and Variety and Performing Arts (All Linear Programs except the Distributor Program, past 3 years) | 40% |
| Historic Access in Drama (All Linear Programs except the Distributor Program, past 3 years) | 30% |
| Historic Access in the Distributor Program (past 2 years) | 30% |
For the 2027-2028 Distributor Envelope calculations, Performance Factors and Weights will be as follows for all genres:
| ENGLISH ENVELOPE | FRENCH ENVELOPE | |
| Distribution Advance Factor | 20% | 15% |
| Historic Access Factor | 10% | 15% |
| Gross Sales Revenue Factor | 25% | 25% |
| Independent Production Factor | 15% | 15% |
| Regional Production Factor | 10% | 10% |
| Diverse Community (Ownership) Project Factor | 10% | 10% |
| Gender Balance (Ownership) Project Factor | 10% | 10% |
| TOTAL | 100% | 100% |
Details on Distributor Envelope allocation usage and calculations, including definitions of the Performance Factors, can be found in the Distributor Envelope Manual.
MANUAL
The Distributor Envelope Manual explains the management and administration policies of the Distributor Envelope Program for Distributors. It outlines the methodology by which envelopes are calculated, as well as the policies which govern their management and usage. This manual is published as a companion to the Distributor Envelope Program Guidelines, which include information largely geared towards project funding eligibility criteria.